1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an X-ray imaging apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have recently been proposed X-ray imaging apparatuses whose portability is increased by reducing the size and weight for X-ray imaging at home or at a site of disaster.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-56170 discloses an X-ray imaging apparatus that performs imaging using an X-ray generation unit hung from a collapsible frame so as to be located vertically above the imaging part.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-104117 discloses a trunk-type X-ray imaging apparatus that allows the user to take out an X-ray generation unit, a frame, and an X-ray detection sensor accommodated in a truck-type case, assemble them, and perform imaging.
In the X-ray imaging apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-56170, however, the operation of assembling the frame and hanging the X-ray generation unit at the time of installation is cumbersome and time-consuming. Upon transport as well, the operation of detaching the X-ray generation unit and collapsing the frame is cumbersome and time-consuming. In addition, the portability is poor because the collapsible frame and the X-ray generation unit are separate.
In the X-ray imaging apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-104117, the operation of taking out the parts from the case and assembling them at the time of installation is cumbersome and time-consuming. Upon transport as well, the operation of detaching the parts and accommodating them in predetermined places of the case is cumbersome and time-consuming.
In X-ray imaging at home or at a site of disaster, the imaging target subject often remains lying down due to injuries or illness. The operation for installing or collapsing the X-ray imaging apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-56170 or 11-104117 need to be performed while keeping the subject lying down. If the user accidentally lets a part drop during the operation, the part may not only break but also hurt the subject. In addition, the place where the subject lies down at home or a site of disaster varies (the ground, the presence/absence of bedding such as a mattress or a bed, the width, the height, and the like are different), and the imaging condition is not constant in many cases. However, the X-ray imaging apparatuses disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2011-56170 and 11-104117 cannot perform imaging in correspondence with various imaging conditions because they have a predetermined frame length.